Method and apparatus for configuring a computing environment

ABSTRACT

A method that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include receiving, by a system comprising a processor, a request from a mobile communication device to configure a computing environment for executing a software application, identifying a deficiency in an availability of a resource of the computing environment responsive to receiving the request, adjusting an operation of the computing environment to change the availability of the resource responsive to identifying the resource deficiency, and providing an action of a plurality of associable actions to the computer environment for use in the software application, where the action replaces a received stimulation of a user input that is associated with the executing of the software application. Other embodiments are disclosed.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to a method and apparatus forconfiguring a computing environment.

BACKGROUND

It is common today for gamers to utilize expect exceptional performancefrom video gaming systems. Computing environments can have a largeimpact on the execution and user acceptance of video gamingapplications. While computing environments are generally evolving toprovide better operating characteristics, it is often desirable toconfigure computing environments in ways that improve performance andacceptance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are notnecessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a Graphical User Interface(GUI) generated by an Accessory Management Software (AMS) applicationaccording to the present disclosure;

FIGS. 2-3 depict illustrative embodiments for communicatively coupling agaming controller to a computing device;

FIG. 4 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication device;

FIG. 5 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a computer environment forexecuting a software application that can be configured by way of theAMS application;

FIG. 6 depicts a method describing illustrative embodiments forconfiguring a computer environment by way of the AMS application;

FIG. 7 depicts illustrative embodiments of configuring a computerenvironment to provide resources for executing a software application;

FIGS. 8-10 depict methods describing illustrative embodiments of the AMSapplication;

FIGS. 11-12 depicts illustrative embodiments of communication flowdiagrams utilized by the AMS application;

FIGS. 13-14 depict illustrative embodiments for gamer hardwarestatistics and gamer performances; and

FIG. 15 depicts an illustrative diagrammatic representation of a machinein the form of a computer system within which a set of instructions,when executed, may cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethodologies disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject disclosure describes, among other things, illustrativeembodiments for improving performances a game executing on a computerdevice. Other embodiments are contemplated by the subject disclosure.

One embodiment of the present disclosure can entail a computer-readablestorage medium having computer instructions, which when executed by aprocessor, cause the processor to perform operations including receivinga request to configure a computing environment for executing a softwareapplication. The processor can also perform operations for determiningan availability of a resource of the computing environment, responsiveto receiving the request, and comparing the availability of the resourceto a preferred availability from configuration information to identify aresource deficiency. The processor can further perform operations foradjusting an operation of the computing environment to change theavailability of the resource responsive to identifying the resourcedeficiency. The processor can perform operations for detecting astimulation of a user input associated with the executing of thesoftware application, retrieving an action of a plurality of associableactions based on the stimulation that is detected, and, in turn,providing the action to the computing environment for use in thesoftware application.

One embodiment of the present disclosure can entail a device having amemory to store computer instructions, and a processor coupled to thememory. When executing the computer instructions, the processor canperform operations including receiving a request to configure acomputing environment for executing a software application anddetermining an availability of a resource of the computing environmentresponsive to receiving the request. The processor can further performoperations for comparing the availability of the resource to a preferredlevel from configuration information to identify a resource deficiency.The processor can also perform operations for adjusting an operation ofthe computing environment to change the availability of the resourceresponsive to identifying the resource deficiency.

One embodiment of the present disclosure can entail a method forreceiving, by a system comprising a processor, a request from a mobilecommunication device to configure a computing environment for executinga software application. The method further includes identifying, by thesystem, a deficiency in an availability of a resource of the computingenvironment responsive to receiving the request. The method alsoincludes adjusting, by the system, an operation of the computingenvironment to change the availability of the resource responsive toidentifying the deficiency. The method includes, in turn, providing anaction of a plurality of associable actions to the computer environmentfor use in the software application, wherein the action replaces areceived stimulation of a user input that is associated with theexecuting of the software application.

FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a Graphical User Interface(GUI) generated by an Accessory Management Software (AMS) applicationaccording to the present disclosure. The AMS application can be executedby a computing device such as a desktop computer, a laptop computer, aserver, a mainframe computer, a gaming console, a gaming accessory, orcombinations or portions thereof. The AMS application can also beexecuted by portable computing devices (with computing resources) suchas a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant, or a media player(such as an iPOD™). It is contemplated that the AMS application can beexecuted by any device with suitable computing resources.

FIG. 2 illustrates a number of embodiments for utilizing a wirelessdongle 203 with gaming controller 115 or a gaming console (hereinreferred to as gaming console 206). In the illustration of FIG. 2, theUSB portion of the dongle 203 can be physically engaged with the gamingcontroller 115 or the gaming console 206. The dongle 203 in either ofthese configurations can facilitate wireless communications 204 betweenthe gaming controller 115 and the gaming console 206 (e.g., WiFi,Bluetooth, ZigBee, or proprietary protocol). It is contemplated thatfunctions of the dongle 203 can in whole or in part be an integral partof the gaming controller 115 or the gaming console 206. It is alsocontemplated that the AMS application can in whole or in part beexecuted by computing resources of the dongle 203.

In one embodiment, the gaming controller 115 can be tethered to acomputer computing device such as the gaming console 206 by a cable(e.g., USB cable) as shown in FIG. 3 to provide a means of communicationless susceptible to electromagnetic interference or other sources ofwireless interference. In one embodiment, the gaming controller 115 andthe gaming console 206 can have an integrated wireless interface forwireless communications. It is contemplated that the AMS application canin whole or in part be executed by computing resources of the gamingcontroller 115, the gaming console 206, or combinations thereof.

FIG. 4 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication device 400.Communication device 400 can serve in whole or in part as anillustrative embodiment of the devices depicted in FIGS. 1-3. Thecommunication device 400 can comprise a wireline and/or wirelesstransceiver 402 (herein transceiver 402), a user interface (UI) 404, apower supply 414, a proximity sensor 416, a motion sensor 418, anorientation sensor 420, and a controller 406 for managing operationsthereof. The transceiver 402 can support short-range or long-rangewireless access technologies such as Bluetooth, WiFi, Digital EnhancedCordless Telecommunications (DECT), or cellular communicationtechnologies, just to mention a few. Cellular technologies can include,for example, CDMA-1X, UMTS/HSDPA, GSM/GPRS, TDMA/EDGE, EV/DO, WiMAX,software defined radio (SDR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), as well asother next generation wireless communication technologies as they arise.The transceiver 402 can also be adapted to support circuit-switchedwireline access technologies (such as PSTN), packet-switched wirelineaccess technologies (such as TCP/IP, VoIP, etc.), and combinationsthereof.

The UI 404 can include a depressible or touch-sensitive keypad 408coupled to a navigation mechanism such as a roller ball, a joystick, amouse, or a navigation disk for manipulating operations of thecommunication device 400. The keypad 408 can be an integral part of ahousing assembly of the communication device 400 or an independentdevice operably coupled thereto by a tethered wireline interface (suchas a USB cable) or a wireless interface supporting for exampleBluetooth. The keypad 408 can represent a numeric keypad, and/or aQWERTY keypad with alphanumeric keys. The UI 404 can further include adisplay 410 such as monochrome or color LCD (Liquid Crystal Display),OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) or other suitable display technologyfor conveying images to an end user of the communication device 400.

In an embodiment where the display 410 is touch-sensitive, a portion orall of the keypad 408 can be presented by way of the display 410 withnavigation features (e.g., an iPad™, iPhone™, or Android™ phone ortablet). As a touch screen display, the communication device 400 can beadapted to present a user interface with graphical user interface (GUI)elements that can be selected by a user with a touch of a finger. Thetouch screen display 410 can be equipped with capacitive, resistive orother forms of sensing technology to detect how much surface area of auser's finger has been placed on a portion of the touch screen display.This sensing information can be used to control the manipulation of theGUI elements.

The UI 404 can also include an audio system 412 that utilizes commonaudio technology for conveying low volume audio (such as audio heardonly in the proximity of a human ear) and high volume audio (such asspeakerphone for hands free operation, stereo or surround sound system).The audio system 412 can further include a microphone for receivingaudible signals of an end user. The audio system 412 can also be usedfor voice recognition applications. The UI 404 can further include animage sensor 413 such as a charged coupled device (CCD) camera forcapturing still or moving images and performing image recognitiontherefrom.

The power supply 414 can utilize common power management technologiessuch as replaceable or rechargeable batteries, supply regulationtechnologies, and charging system technologies for supplying energy tothe components of the communication device 400 to facilitate long-rangeor short-range portable applications. Alternatively, the charging systemcan utilize external power sources such as DC power supplied over aphysical interface such as a USB port or by way of a power cord attachedto a transformer that converts AC to DC power.

The proximity sensor 416 can utilize proximity sensing technology suchas an electromagnetic sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor,an image sensor or combinations thereof. The motion sensor 418 canutilize motion sensing technology such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope,or other suitable motion sensing technology to detect movement of thecommunication device 400 in three-dimensional space. The orientationsensor 420 can utilize orientation sensing technology such as amagnetometer to detect the orientation of the communication device 400(North, South, West, East, combined orientations thereof in degrees,minutes, or other suitable orientation metrics).

The communication device 400 can use the transceiver 402 to alsodetermine a proximity to a cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth, or other wirelessaccess points by common sensing techniques such as utilizing a receivedsignal strength indicator (RSSI) and/or a signal time of arrival (TOA)or time of flight (TOF). The controller 406 can utilize computingtechnologies such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP),and/or a video processor with associated storage memory such as Flash,ROM, RAM, SRAM, DRAM or other storage technologies.

Other components not shown in FIG. 4 are contemplated by the presentdisclosure. For instance, the communication device 400 can include areset button (not shown). The reset button can be used to reset thecontroller 406 of the communication device 400. In yet anotherembodiment, the communication device 400 can also include a factorydefault setting button positioned below a small hole in a housingassembly of the communication device 400 to force the communicationdevice 400 to re-establish factory settings. In this embodiment, a usercan use a protruding object such as a pen or paper clip tip to reachinto the hole and depress the default setting button.

The communication device 400 as described herein can operate with moreor less components described in FIG. 4 to accommodate the implementationof the devices described by the present disclosure. These variantembodiments are contemplated by the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a computing system 500. Thesystem 500 can include combinations of device components, such as acomputer device 520, a gateway device 560, an application server 530,and/or a mobile computing device 550. In one embodiment, the computingsystem 500 provides computer resource capabilities for executing one ormore software programs or applications using combinations of resourcesavailable at one or more of the devices in the computing system 500.

In one embodiment, a software application can be executing entirely atthe computer device 520, in a stand-alone configuration, usingprocessing, memory, and input/output resources directly available to thecomputer device 520 as controlled by an operating system resident at thecomputer device 520. For example, a user can interact with the softwareapplication using input devices, such as a keyboard 108 and/or a mouse110, and a graphical display 525. In another example, the user can playa video game software application by utilizing only the computingresources available to the computer device 520, such as a computerprocessor and memory located within the computer device 520.

In one embodiment, the computing system 500 can execute a softwareapplication, in a networked or shared configuration, by accessingcomputing resources from the computing system 500 that are beyond thosedirectly available at the computer device 520. For example, the computerdevice 520 can be configured to execute as software application that isresident at the application server 530. The application server 530 canperform all of, or a substantial portion of, the processing and memoryfunctions necessary for executing the software application. The computerdevice 520 can, in turn, provide the input/output and graphicalinterface functionality necessary for the user to interact with theapplication. User inputs can be captured at the computer device 520 andtransmitted to the application server 530 via a network connectionprovided by the gateway device 560 and the network 540, such as theInternet. The application server 530 can utilize the transmitted userinputs from the computer device 520 while processing and updating thestate of the software application. In turn, the application server 530can transmit graphical video and audio information back to the computerdevice 520 via the same network connection to provide graphical feedbackto the user.

The computer device 530 can include hardware components, such as acomputer processing unit (CPU), memory, and input/output interfaces, andsoftware components, such as an operation system, software applications,and code for interpreting user interactions with the computerinput/output interfaces. In one embodiment, the computer device 520 canbe a desktop computer. In other embodiments, the computer device 520 canbe a mobile computing device 550, such as a laptop computer, a smart paddevice, a mobile smartphone, or another other computing device capableof executing software applications, interpreting and applying userinputs, and presenting data associated with the software applications toa user through a display 525.

In another embodiment, the computer device 520 can be coupled to one ormore input/output devices, such as a keyboard device 108 or a mousedevice 110. The computer device 520 can be coupled to other inputdevices, such as a headset 114, a gaming controller 115, or a joystick116. The one or more input/output devices can be coupled to the computerdevice 520 by a wired connection or by a wireless connection. In oneembodiment, the computer device 520 can receive stimulations orstimulation inputs from the input/output devices and can process thesestimulations for use by a software application at the computer device520.

In another embodiment, the computer device 520 can be coupled to agateway device 560. The gateway device 560 can provide connectivity tothe computer device 520 to allow the computer device 520 to communicatewith other devices over a wide area network (WAN) 540 or a local areanetwork (LAN). In one embodiment, the computer device 520 cancommunicate with devices over an internet protocol connection or,simply, and internet connection. For example, the computer device 520can connect to a gaming server 530 over an internet or world-wide-weblink. In one embodiment, the computer device 520 can execute a softwareapplication, such as a video game, using resources local to the computerdevice 520. For example, the computer device 520 can execute the videogame via its operating system using local CPU and memory. In anotherembodiment, the computer device 520 can enable participation in a videogame that is being executed at the gaming server 530. For example, thecomputer device 520 can receive and process user stimulations viainput/output devices 108 and 110 and can transmit these stimulations tothe gaming server 530 via a network 540. The gaming server 530 canprovide the stimulation inputs to an operation system for use inexecuting the video game. The gaming server 530 can then provide gamingoutputs, such as video graphics, to the computer device 520 using thenetwork 540. The computer device 520 can then present the gaming outputinformation at a local display 525.

In another embodiment, the computer device 520 can communicate with amobile communication device 550, such as a laptop computer, a smart paddevice, or a mobile smartphone. In one embodiment, the computer device520 and the mobile communication device 550 can communicate through thegateway device 560. For example, the gateway device 560 can provide anEthernet link or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) link to either or both ofthe computer device 520 and the mobile communication device 550. In oneembodiment, the computer device 520, the mobile communication device550, and the gateway device 560 are all part of a local area network(LAN). In another embodiment, this LAN is further capable ofcommunicating to a wide-area link (WAN), such as the network 540, usingthe gateway device 560 as a single-point connection. In anotherembodiment, the computer device 520 and the mobile communication device550 can communicate via a direct link, without the assistance of thegateway device. For example, the computer device 520 and the mobilecommunication device 550 can each support a short distance wirelesscommunication protocol, such as Bluetooth or WiFi. Alternatively, thecomputer device 520 and the mobile communication device 550 cancommunicate using a long-distance protocol, such as cellularcommunication. In another embodiment, the computer device 520 and themobile communication device 550 can communicate using a combination oflinking technologies. For example, the mobile communication device 550can communicate through a cellular communication link, not shown, thatis coupled to the network 540. Communications can be further routed fromthe network 540, through the gateway device 560, and to the computerdevice 520. In one embodiment, the mobile communication device 550 canbe used as an input/output device for the computer device 520. Forexample, user inputs can be captured at the mobile communication device550 and transmitted to the computer device 520. In one example, themobile communication device 550 can be used as a game controller toprovide user navigation for a video game operating at the computerdevice 520. In another example, the computer device 520 can transmitgraphical output information from an executing video game to the mobilecommunication device 550. The mobile communication device 550 can thenpresent the graphical information at its integrated display.

In one embodiment, the computer device 520 can receive a request toconfigure a computing environment for executing a software application.For example, a request can be received over a communication link betweenthe mobile communication device 550 and the computer device 520. Inanother example, a stimulation can be received from an input/outputdevice 108 and 110, where the stimulation is pre-configured to serve asa request to configure the computing environment. In one embodiment, thecomputer device 520 can determine that a request to configure thecomputing environment has been received by considering the currentcontext of operations at the computer device 520. For example, thecomputer device 520 can monitor for any stimulation or communicationassociated with an execution or requesting an execution of a softwareapplication. If the message is received from the mobile communicationdevice 550, or if a stimulation is received from an input/output device108, which indicates a request to execute a software application, thenthe computer device 520 can interpret the received communication orstimulation as a request to configure the computing environment. Inanother embodiment, the request can be received from a gaming server530.

In one embodiment, the computing environment for the softwareapplication can simply include the computer device 520. For example, asoftware application, such as a video game, can be stored in memory atthe computer device 520, executed by an operating system of the computerdevice 520, controlled by input/output device 108 and 110 in directconnection to the computer device 520, and graphically presented at adisplay 525 controlled by the computer device 520. This scenario wouldcorrespond to a “stand-alone” mode, where all of the required computingresources needed for execution of the video game are be available withinor via the direct control of the computer device 520.

In another embodiment, the computer device 520 can use computingresources that are outside of the direct operational control of thedevice 520. For example, the computer device 520 can store and executeda video game via its local memory and CPU but require outside resources,such as access to a resource via an internet-connected network 540. Inanother example, the computer device 520 can require communications witha second device, such as the mobile communication device 550. Thesecommunications can require a secondary communication device, such as agateway device 560 and can rely on computing resources at the secondarydevice that are not directly controllable by the computer device 520. Inthis scenario, the computer device 520 operates in a “cooperating” mode.

In another embodiment, the computer device 520 can receive userstimulations from input/output devices 108 and 110, transmit thesestimulations to a gaming server 530, and receive video/audio graphicsfrom gaming server 530 reflecting the execution of the game. The gamingserver 530 executes the video game, while the computer device 520performs the role of user interface. In this scenario, the computerdevice 520 operates in a “terminal” mode.

Each of the operating modes for the computer device 520 (stand-alone,cooperative, and terminal) can require a different combination ofavailable resources at the computer device 520. In the stand-alone mode,the computer device 520 requires local resources for processing, memory,display, and input stimulation. However, resources for communicationslinking and/or internet access may not be required. In the terminalmode, the computer device 520 can require substantial network bandwidthfor internet communications. However, the local processor requirementscan be minimal. In a cooperative mode, the computer device 520 canrequire substantial communication resources but can perhaps limitresources needs in another area where a resource requirement is met by asecondary device. Regardless of the operating mode of the computerdevice 520, optimal operation and user acceptance of the performance ofthe software application can depend on the ability of the computerdevice 520 to access computing resources in the computing environment.For example, if a software application a mode of operation requiressubstantial memory capacity or processing capacity or internet bandwidthat the computer device 520, then a deficiency in one of these resourcescan make the software application function poorly or malfunction and canadversely impact the user.

In one embodiment, an Accessory Management Software (AMS) applicationcan be resident at the computer device 520. In a further embodiment, theAMS application can process the request to configure the computerenvironment. In one embodiment, the AMS application can determine theavailability of various computer resources in the computer environment.In one embodiment, the configuration request to determine which mode ofoperation is being requested. For example, the source of the request canbe evaluated to determine if the request is for stand-alone,cooperative, or terminal mode. A request originating from a gamingserver 530 can be interpreted as a request for operation of the computerdevice 520 in a terminal mode. In another example, the mode of operationcan be included in the request. A request for configuration from amobile communication device 550 can include information on the role ofthe mobile communication device 550 in the execution of the softwareapplication. In one embodiment, the computing environment for executingthe software application is defined by the mode of operation(stand-alone, cooperative, or terminal).

In one embodiment, other factors can be used to define the computingenvironment. In one embodiment, configuration information can beassociated with the software application, with the computer device 520,a secondary device 550, or a gaming server 530, or with a user of thecomputer device 520, a secondary device 550, or a gaming server 530. Theconfiguration information can be in the form of a file or a message thatis stored at, or received by, the computer device 520. In oneembodiment, configuration information is associated with the softwareapplication. For example, a video game application can include aconfiguration file that is made available to the executing operatingsystem when the video game is invoked. The configuration information caninclude a set of resource requirements for the video game. Theconfiguration information can describe preferred resource requirementsand/or minimum requirements. In another embodiment, the configurationinformation can include more than one set of resource requirements.Various sets of requirements can be directed to different operatingmodes, different types of computer device 520 and/or operating systems,different versions of the video game, different levels of userperformance (e.g., beginner, intermediate, and advanced), and/ordifferent input/output devices 108 and 110.

In another embodiment, a request for configuration can be associatedwith a source of the request for configuration. For example, if therequest originates at a mobile communication device 550, or othersecondary device, then the request can be accompanied by configurationinformation, in the form of a message or file that defines one or moresets of resource requirements for the computing environment. In anotherexample, a request originating at a gaming server can includeconfiguration information that defines the resource requirements thatcomputer device 520 must provide for terminal mode operations.

In another embodiment, the configuration request can be associated withthe device that will be executing the software. If the computer device520 will be executing the software, then the computer device 520 canstore configuration information that is specific to stand-alone orcooperative operations. In another embodiment, the configuration requestcan be associated with a user of the computer device 520 or of a mobilecommunication device 550 or of the gaming server 530. For example, thecomputer device 520 can store a set of configuration files that eachcorrespond to a different user of the computer device 520. The computingenvironment for the computer device 520 can be customized according towhich user is currently accessing the device 520. In another example,the gaming server 530 can have a large number of users. The gamingserver 530 can store different computing environment configurations foreach user. When the software program is initiated at the gaming server530, the gaming server 530 determines the set of users associated withthe software application at that time and transmits user-specificconfiguration information to the computer devices 520 that are beingaccessed by each user.

In one embodiment, the AMS application can determine the availability ofone or more resources in the computing environment. For example,configuration information can include a list of resources that must beassessed for availability. For example, the configuration informationassociated with a video game can require that the AMS applicationdetermine the available capacity of the processor and/or the memory atthe computer device 530. As another example, the status and/or capacityof a virus protection application can be determined. In anotherembodiment, the AMS application can determine which applications and/orprocesses are currently executing at the computer device and/or usingcomputing resources associated with the computer environment. Forexample, the AMS application can access system information at thecomputer device 520 to determine the current usages and availablecapacities for one or more processors, various types of memory,communication services, and/or input/output services. For example, theAMS application can access a communication port and/or a gateway deviceto determine current usages and available capacities for wired andwireless communication ports and/or internet connections.

In one embodiment, the AMS application can compare the availability ofcomputer resources in the computing environment to preferred or requiredresources as defined in the configuration information. For example,after determining a current available capacity of local random accessmemory (RAM) at the computer device 520, the AMS application can comparethis available capacity to a preferred RAM capacity that is provided inthe configuration information. Similarly, the current availability ofeach computer resource in the computing environment can be compared tothe required and/or preferred availabilities of the configurationinformation. In one embodiment, the AMS application can identifyresource deficiencies through the comparing of current availabilities topreferred/required availabilities.

In one embodiment, where the AMS application determines resourcedeficiencies, then the AMS application can adjust one or more operationsin the computing environment to change the availability of computingresources. In one embodiment, the AMS application can terminate theexecution of specific applications and/or processes executing in thecomputer environment to free up computing resources. In one embodiment,the configuration information can include a list ofapplications/processes that can be terminated and/or a list ofapplications/processes that must be available during subsequentexecution of the application. In one embodiment, the AMS application caninitiate one or more applications/processes if such arerequired/preferred for execution of the application in the computerenvironment. In one embodiment, the AMS application can adjust theavailability of processing capacity and/or memory capacity.

In one embodiment, the AMS application can determine the operatingstatus of anti-virus or other malware prevention software operating inthe computer environment. In one embodiment, the configurationinformation can include settings for the anti-virus/malware preventionsoftware that will provide preferred or required capabilities in thecomputer environment. For example, the AMS application can be directedby the configuration information to insure that the anti-virus/malwareprevention software does not perform a scan or does not perform anupdate during execution of a video game.

In another embodiment, the AMS application can adjust operation of agateway device 560 or another device that provides communicationcapability for the computing environment. For example, an availableinternet bandwidth through a gateway device 560 can be determined. Ifthe available internet bandwidth is less than the preferred/requiredcapability described in the configuration information, then AMSapplication can adjust the internet operations of the gateway device 560to improve the availability. For example, the gateway device 560 canhost communication sessions for other devices that are not related tothe performance of a video game executing in the computing environment.One or more of these communication sessions can be terminated at thegateway device 560, under the direction of the AMS application, toreduce the bandwidth demands at the gateway device 560. In anotherembodiment, the AMS application can direct the gateway device 560 tolimit internet access through the gateway device 560 to a specifiedmaximum and/or to guarantee a specified bandwidth. The gateway device560 can automatically limit access to devices unrelated to the videogame in order to meet the directives.

In one embodiment, the AMS application can be configured to monitor theoperation of the computing environment 500 to determine availableresources and to adjust availability of resources as needed foroperations of software in the system. New computing processes can beadded to the computing environment to facilitate operation of thesoftware. For example, the AMS application can monitor for availabilityof memory resources in the computing environment. If memory resourcesare inadequate at a computer device 520, but can be accessed remotelyfrom a server 530 by means of execution of a memory sharing application,then the AMS application can start the memory sharing application uponthe discovery of the resource deficiency. Similarly, the AMS applicationcan terminate computing processes that interfere with the resource needsof the software application. For example, the AMS application can senseactive operation of software or hardware in the computing system 500that could divert processing, communication bandwidth, or memoryresources from the software application. The AMS application can beconfigured to terminate or place these potentially interfering processesinto standby mode.

In one embodiment, the AMS application monitors operation in thecomputing environment 500 continuously such that resource issues can beaddressed before, during, and/or after execution of the softwareapplication. For example, the AMS application can alter theconfiguration of the computing environment prior to initiation of thesoftware application. The configuration can cause processes to beginand/or to end. During execution of the software application, such asduring execution of a computer game, processes can further be modified.For example, the AMS application could be configured to shut down, orplace into standby mode, a WiFi communication process at a gateway 560to prohibit internet traffic by computing devices, such as mobilecommunication device 550, during the playing of an internet-based gameat a computer 520. However, during the game play, gaming application canrequire use of the WiFi link at the gateway 560 to, for example, add amobile communication device 550 as a player or as an input/outputdevice. The AMS application can sense the requested need for the WiFichannel at the gaming software and can further modify operation of thecomputer system 500 during the game play to accommodate the additionalrequirement. The AMS application can monitor resources while the game isbeing executed. If memory usage seems to be going up and might exceedcurrent available memory, the AMS application can turn off otherprocesses that may not be critical to add more memory capacity. Inanother example, during a gaming application, suppose a gamer caninvokes a software application, such as team chat, the will requiregreater resources for network communications and/or WiFi capability. TheAMS will review the environment and further optimize it so that the gameis not affected by the addition of team chat.

In another embodiment, at the end of the execution of the softwareapplication, such as at the end of a game play session, the AMSapplication can return the computing system 500 to its pre-game state.For example, if the AMS application disabled a virus protection at thecomputer device 520, then the virus protection can be re-enabled.

In another embodiment, the AMS application can be configured to set upthe computing environment to add alter the performance of processesand/or applications rather than turning these processes and/orapplications ON or OFF. For example, the AMS application can beconfigured to automatically set a networked communication application to“Do Not Disturb” or to automatic forwarding to voicemail when a gamebegins. The AMS application can thereby prevent distractions to a humanoperator of the computing environment 500 during a software execution.

In another embodiment, the AMS application can be configured to take a“snapshot” of the computing environment before, during, or after anapplication is executed. A “before” snapshot can be used as a baselinefor AMS to return the computing environment 500 to this state ofoperations, as much as possible, after the application completes. An“after” or a “during” snapshot can be used by AMS to save one or moreconfigurations of the computing environment for use in future sessions.

FIG. 6 depicts illustrative embodiments for a method for configuring acomputing environment for executing a gaming program in the AMSapplication. In one embodiment, in step 604, the AMS application canreceive a request to configure a computing environment for executing asoftware application. The request can be in the form of a message or astimulation, which is pre-defined as a request for configuration. Therequest can be deduced from the context of a received message orstimulation. The request can include configuration information that canbe used for the configuration process. The request can come from aninput/output device, a secondary device, a mobile communication device,and/or a gaming server.

In step 608, the AMS application can monitor the computing environmentto for resource availability and/or conflicts and/or resourceconfigurations. AMS can determine one or more availabilities of one ormore resources of the computing environment. Configuration informationcan be associated with devices in the computing environment, with usersof the computing environment, and/or with the software application. Theconfiguration information can identify which resources are checked foravailability. The availability determination can include determining thecurrent capacity and the maximum possible capacity. Currentlyapplications and processes can be determined.

In step 612, the AMS application can compare the actual availability ofone or more resources with preferred/required availability as defined bythe configuration information. Actual capacity can be compared topreferred capacity for processing, memory, and/or internet bandwidth.The capacities of resources of more than one device in the computingenvironment can be assessed and compared. AMS can detect the presence ofprocesses and/or hardware that could cause disruptions during theexecution of the software application. AMS can detect the absence ofprocesses and/or hardware that could enhance the performance,efficiency, or human interaction with the application. AMS can detect ifprocesses and/or hardware are configured for best performance. Any ofthese comparisons can reveal a difference between an ideal or hoped forconfiguration and/or performance of the computing environment and theactual configuration and/or performance. In step 616, the AMSapplication can determine if there is a difference between a preferredconfiguration and an actual configuration. If a difference is detectedin step 616, then the AMS application can adjust one or more operationsof the computer environment to change the availability of resourcesand/or to change resource conflicts. Software applications/processes canbe initiated or terminated as described by the configurationinformation. Internet connections can be initiated or terminated asdirected by the AMS application to insure proper bandwidth. Theoperation of anti-virus or malware applications can be altered toeliminate interference with a requested application. AMS cancontinuously monitor the computing environment for performance before,during, and after execution of the software application.

FIG. 7 depicts an exemplary diagrammatic representation of configuring acomputing environment 700 by optimizing resources using the AMSapplication. When a request is received for configuration of thecomputing environment 700, the AMS application can survey the computerenvironment to determine initial resource availability and activeprocesses. For example, a computer device 520 can receive a request froma mobile communication device 550 to configure the environment forexecution of a video game. The AMS application can respond by surveyingthe system resources at the computer device 520 and/or at other devicesin the computer environment, such as a gateway device 560. The initialresource availability can include capacities for processing, memory,anti-virus operation, and internet bandwidth. For example, the initialprocessing and memory available capacities can be 20% and 30%,respectively, the anti-virus software can be enabled for scanning, andthe internet can have 25% available bandwidth. In another embodiment,the AMS application can determine the processes or applications that arecurrently executing in the computing environment.

In one embodiment, the AMS application can compare the initial resourceavailability to a set of preferred/required resource capacities asdefined in the configuration information. If the AMS application findsone or more deficiencies, then it can adjust the performance of thecomputing environment to eliminate or minimize these deficiencies. Inthe example, the configuration information can list preferred/requiredresources that include processing and memory available capacities of 35%and 50%, respectively, disabling the scanning of the anti-virus softwareduring execution of the video game, and an available internet bandwidthof 40%. The AMS application can determine that each of these resourcerequirements is not sufficiently met in the current configuration of thecomputing environment. The AMS application can adjust the performance ofthe computing environment by directing actions to reduce the number ofapplication/processes that are executing. For example, Applications Band C can be terminated. In addition, the AMS application can direct theanti-virus software to disable scanning. The AMS application can alsodirect the gateway device to end communication sessions and thereby freeup additional internet bandwidth.

FIGS. 8-9 depict methods 800-700 describing illustrative embodiments ofthe AMS application. Method 800 can begin with step 802 in which the AMSapplication is invoked in a computing device. The computing device canbe a remote server (not shown), the gaming console 206 of FIGS. 2-3, orany other computing device with suitable computing resources. Theinvocation step can result from a user selection of the AMS applicationfrom a menu or iconic symbol presented on a desktop of the computingdevice by an operating system (OS) managing operations thereof. In step804, the AMS application can detect by way of drivers in the OS aplurality of operationally distinct accessories communicatively coupledto the computing device. The accessories can be coupled to the computingdevice by a tethered interface (e.g., USB cable), a wireless interface(e.g., Bluetooth or Wireless Fidelity—WiFi), or combinations thereof.

In the present context, an accessory can represent any type of devicewhich can be communicatively coupled to the computing device (or anintegral part of the computing device) and which can control aspects ofthe OS and/or a software application operating in the computing device.An accessory can represent for example a keyboard, a touch screendisplay, a gaming pad, a gaming controller, a mouse, a joystick, amicrophone, or a headset with a microphone—just to mention a few.

In step 806, the AMS application presents a GUI 101 such as depicted inFIG. 1 with operationally distinct accessories such as a keyboard 108,and a gaming controller 115. The GUI 101 presents the accessories108-116 in a scrollable section 117. One or more accessories can beselected by a user with a mouse pointer. In this illustration, thekeyboard 108 and the gaming controller 115 were selected forcustomization. Upon selecting the keyboard 108 and the gaming controller115 from the scrollable window of section 117, the AMS applicationpresents the keyboard 108 and the gaming controller 115 in split windows118, 120, respectively, to assist the user during the customizationprocess.

In step 808, the AMS application can be programmed to detect auser-selection of a particular software application such as a game. Thisstep can be the result of the user entering in a Quick Search field 160the name of a gaming application (e.g., World of Warcraft™ or WoW). Uponidentifying a gaming application, the AMS application can retrieve instep 810 from a remote or local database gaming application actionswhich can be presented in a scrollable section 139 of the GUIrepresented as “Actions” 130. The actions can be tactical actions 132,communication actions 134, menu actions 136, and movement actions 138which can be used to invoke and manage features of the gamingapplication.

The actions presented descriptively in section 130 of the GUI canrepresent a sequence of accessory input functions which a user canstimulate by button depressions, navigation or speech. For example,depressing the left button on the mouse 110 can represent the tacticalaction “Reload”, while the simultaneous keyboard depressions “Ctrl A”can represent the tactical action “Melee Attack”. For ease of use, the“Actions” 130 section of the GUI is presented descriptively rather thanby a description of the input function(s) of a particular accessory.

Any one of the Actions 130 can be associated with one or more inputfunctions of the accessories being customized in windows 118 and 120 byway of a drag and drop action or other customization options. Forinstance, a user can select a “Melee Attack” by placing a mouse pointer133 over an iconic symbol associated with this action. Upon doing so,the symbol can be highlighted to indicate to the user that the icon isselectable. At this point, the user can select the icon by holding theleft mouse button and drag the symbol to any of the input functions(e.g., buttons) of the keyboard 108 or selectable options of the gamingcontroller 115 to make an association with an input function of one ofthese accessories. Actions of one accessory can also be associated withanother accessory that is of a different category. For example, keydepressions “Ctrl A” of the key board 108 can be associated with one ofthe buttons of the gaming controller 115 (e.g., the left button 119).

In one embodiment, a Melee Attack action can be associated by draggingthis action to either the left button 119 or right button 120 of thegaming controller 115. Thus, when the selected button is depressed, thestimulus signal that is generated by the selected button of the gamingcontroller 115 can be substituted by the AMS application with the MeleeAttack action. In another embodiment, the Melee Action can be associatedwith a combination of key button presses (e.g., simultaneous depressionof the left and right buttons 119, 121, or a sequence of buttondepressions: two rapid left button depressions followed by a rightbutton depression).

In yet another embodiment, the Melee Action can be associated withmovement of the gaming controller 115 such as, for example, rapidmovement or shaking of the gaming controller 115. In a furtherembodiment, the AMS application can be adapted to make associations withtwo dimensional or three dimensional movements of the gaming controller115 according to a gaming venue state. For example, suppose the player'savatar enters a fighter jet. In this gaming venue state, moving the leftnavigation knob forward can be associated by the AMS application withcontrolling the throttle of the jet engines. Rapidly moving the gamingcontroller 115 downward can represent release of munitions such as abomb.

In a gaming venue state where the gamer's avatar has entered a building,lifting of the gaming controller 115 above a first displacementthreshold can be associated with a rapid movement of the avatar up onefloor. A second displacement threshold can be associated with a rapidmovement of the avatar down one floor—the opposite of the firstdisplacement threshold. Alternatively, the second displacement thresholdcould be associated with a different action such as jumping betweenbuildings when the avatar is on the roof of a building.

The AMS application can associate standard stimuli generated bymanipulating a gaming accessory with substitute stimuli that controlgaming actions of a video game. The AMS application can be adapted toperform these associations based on a gaming venue state such as theones described above. Accordingly, the associations made between stimulisupplied by an accessory such as the gaming controller 115 can be venuestate dependent. The gaming venue state can be a description of a gamingstate (e.g., entering a tank which requires the use of gaming controlsfor a tank), captured images of the gaming venue state (e.g., one ormore still images of a tank, or a video of an avatar entering a tank),and/or application programming instructions (API) messages which can bereceived from the gaming application to enable the AMS application toidentify the occurrence of a particular gaming venue state.

At step 812 the AMS application can also respond to a user selection ofa profile. A profile can be a device profile or master profile invokedby selecting GUI button 156 or 158, each of which can identify theassociation of gaming actions with input functions of one or moreaccessories. If a profile selection is detected in step 812, the AMSapplication can retrieve in step 814 macro(s) and/or prior associationsdefined by the profile. The actions and/or macros defined in the profilecan also be presented in step 816 by the AMS application in the actionscolumn 130 of the GUI 101 to modify existing profile associations orcreate new associations.

In step 818, the AMS application can also respond to a user selection tocreate a macro. A macro in the present context can mean any actionablecommand which can be recorded by the AMS application. An actionablecommand can represent a sequence of stimuli generated by manipulatinginput functions of an accessory, a combination of actions in the Actionsection 130, an identification of a software application to be initiatedby an operating system (OS), or any other recordable stimulus toinitiate, control or manipulate software applications. For instance, amacro can represent a user entering the identity of a softwareapplication (e.g., instant messaging tool) to be initiated by an OS uponthe AMS application detecting through speech recognition a speechcommand.

A macro can also represent recordable speech delivered by a microphonesingly or in combination with a headset for detection by anothersoftware application through speech recognition or for delivery of therecorded speech to other parties. In yet another embodiment a macro canrepresent recordable navigation of an accessory such as a joystick ofthe gaming controller 115, recordable selections of buttons of thegaming controller 115, and so on. Macros can also be combinations of theabove illustrations with selected actions from the Actions 130 menu.Macros can be created from the GUI 101 by selecting a “Record Macro”button 148. The macro can be given a name and category in user-definedfields 140 and 142.

Upon selecting the Record Macro button 148, a macro can be generated byselection of input functions on an accessory (e.g., Ctrl A, speech,navigation knob movements of the gaming controller 115, etc.) and/or bymanual entry in field 144 (e.g., typing the name and location of asoftware application to be initiated by an OS, such as an instantmessaging application, keyboard entries such as Ctrl A, etc.). Once themacro is created, it can be tested by selecting button 150 which canrepeat the sequence specified in field 144. The clone button 152 can beselected to replicate the macro sequence if desired. Fields 152 can alsopresent timing characteristics of the stimulation sequence in the macrowith the ability to modify and thereby customize the timing of one ormore stimulations in the stimulation sequence. Once the macro has beenfully defined, selection of button 154 records the macro in step 820.The recording step can be combined with a step for adding the macro tothe associable items Actions column 130, thereby providing the user themeans to associate the macro with input functions of the accessories(e.g., one or more keys of the keyboard 108, buttons of the gamingcontroller 115, etc.).

In step 822, the AMS application can respond to drag and dropassociations of actions and input functions of the keyboard 108 or thegaming controller 115. Associations can also be made based on the two orthree dimensional movements of the gaming controller 115. If user inputindicates that a user is performing an association, the AMS applicationcan proceed to step 824 where it can determine if a profile has beenidentified in step 812 to record the association(s) detected. If aprofile has been identified, the associations are recorded and/or storedin the profile in step 826. If a profile has not been identified in step812, the AMS application can create a profile in step 828 for recordingthe detected associations. In the same step, the user can name the newlycreated profile as desired. The newly created profile can also beassociated with one or more gaming software applications in step 830 forfuture reference. The AMS application can also record in a profile instep 826 associations based on gaming venue states. In this embodimentthe same stimuli generated by the gaming controller 115 can result indifferent substitutions based on the gaming venue state detected by theAMS application.

The AMS application can be adapted to utilize image processingtechnology to detect a gaming venue state according to pre-stored imagesor video clips stored in the profile. For example, the AMS applicationcan use image processing technology to identify an avatar of a gamer andtrack what the avatar does as directed by the gamer. For example, if theavatar enters a tank, the image processing technology of the AMSapplication can detect a gaming venue state associated with the use of atank, and thereby identify associations between accessory stimuli andsubstitute stimuli according to the detected gaming venue state.

Referring back to step 826, once the associations have been recorded ina profile, the AMS application can determine in step 832 which of theaccessories shown illustratively in FIGS. 1-3 are programmable andavailable for programming. If the AMS application detects that theaccessories (e.g., keyboard 108, gaming controller 115) arecommunicatively coupled to a computing device from which the AMSapplication is operating (e.g., gaming console 306) and programmable,the AMS application can proceed to step 834 of FIG. 8 where it submitsthe profile and its contents for storage in one of the accessories(e.g., the gaming controller 115 in FIGS. 2-3) or the dongle 203. Oncethe gaming controller 115, dongle 303, or combinations thereof areprogrammed with the profile, such devices can perform stimulisubstitutions according to the associations recorded by the AMSapplication in the profile. Alternatively, the AMS application can storethe profile in the computing device 206 of FIGS. 2-3 and performsubstitutions of stimuli supplied by the gaming controller 115 accordingto associations recorded in the profile by the AMS application.

The GUI 101 of FIG. 1 presented by the AMS application can have otherfunctions. For example, the GUI 101 can provide options for layout ofthe accessory selected (button 122), how the keyboard is illuminatedwhen associations between input functions and actions are made (button134), and configuration options for the accessory (button 126). The AMSapplication can adapt the GUI 101 to present more than one functionalGUI page. For instance, by selecting button 102, the AMS application canadapt the GUI 101 to present a means to create macros and associateactions to accessory input functions as depicted in FIG. 1. Selectingbutton 104 can cause the AMS application to adapt the GUI 101 to presentstatistics from stimulation information and/or gaming action resultscaptured by the AMS application. Selecting button 106 can also cause theAMS application to adapt the GUI 101 to present promotional offers andsoftware updates.

The steps of method 800 in whole or in part can be repeated until adesirable pattern is achieved of associations between stimulus signalsgenerated by accessories and substitute stimuli. It would be apparent toan artisan with ordinary skill in the art that there can be numerousother approaches to accomplish the embodiments described by method 800or variants thereof. These undisclosed approaches are contemplated bythe present disclosure.

FIG. 9 depicts a method 900 for illustrating the operations of the AMSapplication for either of the configurations shown in FIGS. 2-3. In theconfigurations of FIGS. 2-3, the AMS application can be operating inwhole or in part from the gaming controller 115, the dongle 203, thegaming console 206, a remote server (not shown), or a computing devicesuch as a desktop computer (also not shown). For illustration purposes,it is assumed the AMS application operates from the gaming console 206.Method 900 can begin with the AMS application establishingcommunications in steps 902 and 904 between the gaming console 206 and agaming accessory such as the gaming controller 115, and a headset 114such as shown in FIG. 1. These steps can represent for example a userstarting the AMS application from the gaming console 206 and/or the userinserting at a USB port of the gaming console 206 a connector of a USBcable tethered to the gaming controller 115, which invokes the AMSapplication. In step 906, the gaming controller 115 and/or headset 114can in turn provide the AMS application one or more accessory ID's, orthe user can provide by way of a keyboard or the gaming controller 115user identification. With the accessory ID's, or user input the AMSapplication can identify in step 908 a user account associated with thegaming controller 115 and/or headset 114. In step 910, the AMSapplication can retrieve one or more profiles associated with the useraccount.

In step 912, the user can be presented by way of a display coupled tothe gaming console 206 profiles available to the user to choose from. Ifthe user makes a selection, the AMS application proceeds to step 914where it retrieves from the selected profiles the association(s) storedtherein. If a selection is not made, the AMS application can proceed tostep 916 where it can determine whether a software gaming application(e.g., video game) is operating from the gaming console 206 or whetherthe gaming console 206 is communicating with the software gamingapplication by way of a remote system communicatively coupled to thegaming console 206 (e.g., on-line gaming server(s) presenting, forexample, World of Warcraft™). If a gaming software application isdetected, the AMS application proceeds to step 917 where it retrieves aprofile that matches the gaming application detected and theassociation(s) contained in the profile. As noted earlier,association(s) can represent accessory stimulations, navigation, andspeech, invocation of other software applications, macros or other formsof suitable associations that result in substitute stimulations. Theaccessory stimulations can be stimulations that are generated by thegaming controller 115, as well as stimulations from other accessories(e.g., headset 114), or combinations thereof.

Once a profile and its contents have been retrieved in either of steps914 or step 917, the AMS application can proceed to step 1019 of FIG. 10where it monitors for a change in a gaming venue state based on thepresentations made by the gaming application, or API messages suppliedby the gaming application. At the start of a game, for example, thegaming venue state can be determined immediately depending on the gamingoptions chosen by the gamer. The AMS application can determine thegaming venue state by tracking the gaming options chosen by a gamer,receiving an API instruction from the gaming application, or byperforming image processing on the video presentation generated by thegaming application. For example, the AMS application can detect that thegamer has directed an avatar to enter a tank. The AMS application canretrieve in step 1019 associations for the gaming controller 115 forcontrolling the tank.

The AMS application can process movements of the gaming controller 115forwards, backwards, or sideways in two or three dimensions to controlthe tanks movement. Similarly, rotating the gaming controller 115 ortilting the gaming controller 115 forward can cause an accelerometer,gyro or magnetometer of the gaming controller 115 to providenavigational data to the AMS application which can be substituted withan action to cause the tank to turn and/or move forward. The profileretrieved by the AMS application can indicate that the greater theforward tilt of the gaming controller 115, the greater the speed of thetank should be moving forward. Similarly, a rear tilt can generatenavigation data that is substituted with a reverse motion and/ordeceleration of the forward motion to stop or slow down the tank. Athree dimensional lift of the mouse can cause the tank to steeraccording to the three dimensional navigation data provided by thegaming controller 115. For example, navigation data associated with acombination of a forward tilt and right bank of the gaming controller115 can be substituted by the AMS application to cause an increase inforward speed of the tank with a turn to the right determined by the AMSapplication according to a degree of banking of the gaming controller115 to the right. In the above embodiment, the three dimensionalnavigation data allows a gamer to control any directional vector of thetank including speed, direction, acceleration and deceleration.

In another illustration, the AMS application can detect a new gamingvenue state as a result of the gamer directing the avatar to leave thetank and travel on foot. Once again the AMS application retrieves instep 1019 associations related to the gaming venue state. In thisembodiment, selection of buttons of the gaming controller 115 can beassociated by the AMS application with weaponry selection, firing,reloading and so on. The movement of the gaming controller 115 in two orthree dimensions can control the direction of the avatar and/orselection or use of weaponry. Once the gaming venue state is detected instep 1019, the AMS application retrieves the associations related to thevenue state, and can perform substitutions of stimuli generated by thegaming controller 115, and/or speech commands received by microphone ofthe headset 114.

The AMS application can monitor in step 1020 stimulus signals generatedby the accessories coupled to the gaming console 206. The stimulussignals can be generated by the gamer by manipulating the gamingcontroller 115, and/or by generating speech commands detected by theheadset 114.

If a stimulus signals are detected at step 1020, then the AMSapplication can generate stimulations from the stimulus signals basedupon configuration settings in step 1024. In one embodiment, theconfiguration settings can establish a digital responsiveness of the AMSapplication to changes in a stimulus signal of an accessory device. Forexample, a configuration setting can determine a speed of response to amovement of a mouse device. When a mouse device is moved in space,digital data is generated indicating a direction and distance ofmovement relative to a former position. A polling algorithm in the AMSapplication can read the output data of the mouse device at periodicintervals to determine if the mouse position has changed and, if so, thedirection and magnitude of this change. In several embodiments, one ormore configuration settings can be assigned and stored in the AMSapplication to control digital responsiveness, resolution, speed,feedback, and/or sensitivity of one or more accessory devices. Forexample, one or more configuration settings can be defined for countsper inch (CPI) for movement of an input device, frames per second (FPS)and/or dots per inch (DPI) for a display device, inches per second (IPS)for speed and acceleration of an input device, lift distance for athree-dimensional input device, polling rate, feedback intensity,scrolling and/or double-click speed, direction sensitivity and/or windowpointer speed for an input device.

The configuration settings can affect playing performance when using theaccessory device. For example, the counts per inch setting for a mousedevice can directly affect how a mouse movement is translated into aninput action at an application such as a computer game. If the CPI isset at a low resolution, movements of the input device will appeargrainy or imprecise. This can be a useful setting if the game requiresrapid but imprecise moves and/or is programmed to snap movements to afixed grid pattern. However, if the game play requires precisemovements, then a low CPI resolution can make it difficult or impossibleto succeed at the game. For example, a game that requires precise aimingof a weapon may also require at least a minimum CPI for successful gameplay. As another example, a CPI that set too high can create an inputwith too much resolution. For example, a mouse with too much resolutionfor the application can be seem to be too “busy” in its movements, whereeven the slightest movement of twitch from the user generates a movementoutput. If the gaming application updates the graphical interface uponevery movement of the input device, then this additional resolution cancreate a busy display or twitchy aiming or can even slow down gameexecution.

In one embodiment, the AMS application uses configuration settings tooptimally convert stimulation signals from an accessory device intostimulations than can be further processed by the AMS application orsent directly to an executing game. The configuration settings can allowthe player to configure the accessory device performance to fit theirplaying style and preferences and can be maintained in a player profile.In another embodiment, the configuration settings can be maintained in agame profile so that a player can establish and reuse configurationsettings that are tailored to a particular gaming venue. In oneembodiment, the configuration settings can have a default configurationthat is established by the AMS application and/or by add-in applicationsand/or set-up data associated with each accessory device. For example,the AMS application can have default configuration settings for a mousedevice. In one embodiment, the default configuration settings can bereviewed and updated using the AMS graphical user interface. In anotherembodiment, the default configuration settings can be overwritten byimporting settings for a new or existing device. For example, a newdevice can include configuration setting information that can bedownloaded into the AMS application.

In one embodiment, the AMS application converts each stimulus signalfrom each communicating accessory device into a digital stimulationsignal based on the current configuration settings. For example, the AMScan have configuration settings for a mouse device that include asetting for dots per inch of 1200, and a polling rate of 500 Hertz. Astimulation signal from a communicating mouse device would be processedby the AMS application using these settings to generate a simulationsignal associated with the mouse device.

In step 1028, the AMS application can determine whether to forward thestimulations to an Operating System (OS) of the gaming console 206 asstimulations without substitutions. This determination can be made bycomparing the stimulations to an association in the profile. If thestimulations match the associations, then the AMS application proceedsto step 1040 where it retrieves substitute stimulations in the profile.In step 1042, the AMS application can substitute the stimulations withthe substitute stimulations in the profile. In one embodiment, the AMSapplication can track in step 1044 the substitute stimulations byupdating these stimulations with a unique identifier such as a globallyunique identifier (GUID). In this embodiment, the AMS application canalso add a time stamp to each substituted stimulation to track when thesubstitution was performed.

In another embodiment, the AMS application can track each substitutestimulation according to its order of submission to the gamingapplication. For instance, sequence numbers can be generated for thesubstitute stimulations to track the order in which they were submittedto the gaming application. In this embodiment, the substitutestimulations do not need to be updated with sequence numbers oridentifiers so long as the order of gaming action results submitted bythe gaming application to the AMS application remain in the same orderas the substitute stimulations were originally submitted.

For example, if a first stimulation sent to the gaming application bythe AMS application is a command to shoot, and a second stimulation sentto the gaming application is a command to shoot again, then so long asthe gaming application provides a first a game action result for thefirst shot, followed by a game action result for the second shot, thenthe substitute stimulations will not require updating with sequencenumbers since the game action results are reported in the order that thestimulations were sent. If on the other hand, the game action resultscan be submitted out of order, then updating the stimulations withsequence numbers or another suitable identifier would be required toenable the AMS application to properly track and correlate stimulationsand corresponding gaming action results.

Once the stimulations received in step 1020 have been substituted withother stimulations in step 1042, and the AMS application has chosen aproper tracking methodology for correlating gaming action results withstimulations, the AMS application can proceed to step 1048 and submitthe substitute stimulations to the OS of the gaming console 206. If instep 1022 the detected stimulation(s) do not match an association in theprofile, then the AMS application proceeds to one of steps 1044 or 1046in order to track the stimulations of the accessory. Once the AMSapplication has performed the necessary steps to track the stimulationas originally generated by the accessory, the AMS application proceedsto step 1048 where it submits stimulations (with or withoutsubstitutions) to the OS of the gaming console 206 with or withouttracking information as previously described.

In step 1034, the OS determines whether to invoke in step 1036 asoftware application identified in the stimulation(s) (e.g., gamer says“turn on team chat”, which invokes a chat application), whether toforward the received stimulations to the gaming software application instep 1038, or combinations thereof. Contemporaneous to the embodimentsdescribed above, the AMS application can monitor in step 1050 for gameaction results supplied by the gaming application via a defined API. Thegame action results can be messages sent by the gaming application byway of the API of the gaming application to inform the AMS applicationwhat has happened as a result of the stimulations sent in step 1038. Forinstance, suppose the stimulation sent to the gaming application in step1038 is a command to shoot a pistol. The gaming application candetermine that the shot fired resulted in a miss of a target. The gamingapplication can respond with a message which is submitted by way of theAPI to the AMS application that indicates the shot fired resulted in amiss. If IDs such as GUIDs were sent with each stimulation, then thegaming application can submit game action results with theircorresponding GUID to enable the AMS application to correlate the gamingaction results with stimulations having the same GUID.

For example, if the command to shoot included the ID “1234”, then thegame action result indicating a miss will include the ID “1234”, whichthe AMS application can use in step 1052 to identify the stimulationhaving the same ID. If on other hand, the order of game action resultscan be maintained consistent with the order of the stimulations, thenthe AMS application can correlate in step 1054 stimulations with gameaction results by the order in which stimulation were submitted and theorder in which game action results were received. In step 1056, the AMSapplication can catalogue stimulations and game action results. Inanother embodiment, the AMS application can be adapted to catalogue thestimulations in step 1060. In this embodiment, step 1060 can beperformed as an alternative to steps 1050 through 1056. In anotherembodiment, step 1060 can be performed in combination with steps 1050through 1056 in order to generate a catalogue of stimulations, and acatalogue for gaming action results correlated to the stimulations.

FIGS. 11-12 illustrate embodiments of a system with a correspondingcommunication flow diagram for correlating stimulations and gamingaction results. In this illustration a user clicks a left button of agaming controller 115. The gaming controller 115 can include firmware(or circuitry), which creates an event as depicted by event 2 in FIG.11. The button depression and the event creation are depicted in FIG. 12as steps 1202 and 1204. In step 1204, the firmware of the gamingcontroller 115 can, for example, generate an event type “left button#3”, and a unique GUID with a time stamp which is submitted to the AMSapplication. Referring back to FIG. 8, the AMS application can catalogueevent 3, and, if a substitute stimulation has been predefined, can remapthe event according to the substitution. The remapped event is thentransmitted to the gaming application at event 4. Event 3 of FIG. 8 isdepicted as step 1206 in FIG. 12. In this illustration, the AMSapplication substitutes the left button #3 depression stimulus with a“keyboard ‘F’” depression which can be interpreted by the gamingapplication as a fire command. The AMS application in this illustrationcontinues to use the same GUID, but substitutes the time stamp foranother time stamp to identify when the substitution took place.

Referring back to event 4, the gaming application processes the eventand sends back at event 5 a game action result to the AMS applicationwhich is processed by the AMS application at event 6. The AMSapplication then submits the results to the accessory at event 7. Events4 and 5 are depicted as step 1208 in FIG. 12. In this step, the gamingapplication processes “F” as an action to fire the gamer's gun, and thendetermines from the action the result from logistical gaming resultsgenerated by the gaming application. In the present illustration, theaction of firing resulted in a hit. The gaming application submits tothe AMS application the result type “Hit” with a new time stamp, whileutilizing the same GUID for tracking purposes. At step 1210, the AMSapplication correlates the stimulation “left button #3 (and/or thesubstitute stimulation keyboard “F”) to the game result “Hit” andcatalogues them in memory. The AMS application then submits to theaccessory (e.g., gaming controller 115) in step 1210 the game actionresults “Hit” with the same GUID, and a new time stamp indicating whenthe result was received. Upon receiving the message from the AMSapplication, the accessory in step 1212 can process the “Hit” byasserting a red LED on the accessory (e.g., left button illuminates inred or other LED of the gaming controller 115 illuminates in red) toindicate a hit. Other notification notices can be used such as anothercolor for the LED to indicate misses, a specific sound for a hit, orkill, a vibration or other suitable technique for notifying the gamer ofthe game action result.

In an embodiment where the AMS application receives gaming results froma gaming application via an API as described above, the communicationflow diagram shown in FIG. 12 can be modified with a more comprehensiveprotocol that includes a weapon type being monitored, misses, non-killhits (i.e., a hit that does not result in a kill), kill hits, and lossof life rate.

The AMS application can present performance factors of each gamer, andthe type of weapons being tracked (e.g., sniper rifle, machine gun, handgun) as shown in FIGS. 13-14. To identify which weapon is being used atany point in time during a gaming session, the AMS application canhighlight the weapon in a distinguishable color such as blue whilekeeping all other weapon rows in gray. The AMS application can calculatean average hit rate from the misses, non-kill hits, and kill hits. TheAMS application can compare gaming action results between the gamers toidentifying leading performance factors as shown in the “Comp Rating”column of each player. In a tournament setting, the performance factorsshown in FIGS. 13 and 14 can be shown in side-by-side monitors, ortogether in a JumboTron™ display such as those used in sporting eventsor the like.

As the gamer is competing, the input functions of the gaming controller115 can be highlighted and moved (in the case of knobs) to show theaudience how the gaming controller 115 is being used by the gamer. Thehealth of the gamer's avatar can be shown below the gaming controller115. To further enhance the experience for the audience, the gamer'simage can be shown as a video clip during the competition. The AMSapplication can also be adapted to present a portion of the video gameassociated with each gamer as shown in FIGS. 12-14.

The methods of FIGS. 5 and 7-9 can be adapted to operate in whole or inpart in a gaming accessory, in an operating system of a computer, in agaming console, in a gaming application that generates the video game,in a dongle, or any other suitable software application and/or device.The method of FIGS. 5 and 7-9 can be adapted to ignore or filter gameaction results, which may not be relevant to the gamer or analysts. Forinstance, the AMS application can be adapted to ignore (or filter) gameaction results relating to navigation of the avatar (e.g., turn around,jump, etc.). The AMS application can also be adapted to ignore (orfilter) game action results relating to preparatory actions such asreloading a gun, switching between weapons, and so on. In anotherembodiment, the AMS application can be adapted to selectively monitoronly particular game result actions such as misses, non-kill hits,kills, and life of the avatar. The AMS application can also be adaptedto monitor gaming action results with or without temporal dataassociated with the stimuli and game action results.

In one embodiment, the AMS application can be adapted to track stimuli(or substitutions thereof) by submission order, and order of gamingaction results supplied by the gaming application, and performcataloguing thereof by the respective order of stimuli and gaming actionresults. The items can be catalogued by the AMS application with orwithout temporal data.

In one embodiment, the AMS application can be adapted to collect gamingaction results for “all” or a substantial portion of stimuli (orsubstitutions thereof) transmitted to the gaming application. In thisembodiment, the AMS application can be adapted to enable a gamer toreplay portions of the game to allow the gamer to visualize (in slowmotion, still shots, or regular play speed) the actions taken by thegamer (i.e., accessory stimuli and/or substitute stimuli) to help thegamer identify areas of the game where his/her performance can beimproved.

In one embodiment, the AMS application can be implemented as adistributed system (e.g., one or more servers executing one or morevirtual machines) enabling multiples users to control aspects of the AMSapplication. For example, in a tournament setting, gaming analystshaving access to the AMS application can request a replay of portions ofthe game to demonstrate exceptional plays versus missed plays at aJumboTron™ display. The gamers can access the AMS application toestablish new substitute stimuli, perform calibrations on macros, orinvoke or create additional gaming profiles. Portions of the AMSapplication can also be implemented by equipment of unaffiliated partiesor service providers of gaming services.

In one embodiment, the AMS application can be adapted to substitute anaccessory stimulus (or stimuli) with a macro comprising a combination ofsubstitute stimuli, and to track the macro when gaming action resultsare received from the gaming application—rather than tracking eachindividual substitute stimulus of the macro. The AMS application can beadapted to monitor macros by tracking an order of stimuli (orsubstitutes) associated with the macro that are transmitted to thegaming application and by tracking an order of gaming action resultsreceived from the gaming application, which are associated with themacro. Alternatively, or in combination the AMS application can add aunique identifier to the substitute stimuli to identify the stimuli asbeing associated with the macro.

The AMS application can be adapted to catalogue the gaming actionresults associated with the macro in a manner that allows the gamer toidentify a group of gaming action results as being associated with themacro. The AMS application can also be adapted to collect sufficientdata to assess each individual gaming action result of the macro (e.g.,temporal data, hits, misses, etc.). The presentation of catalogued macrodata can be hierarchical. For example, the AMS application can present aparticular macro by way of a high level GUI that indicates the macrocaused a kill. The AMS application can be adapted to enable the gamer toselect a different GUI that enables the user to visualize a gamingaction result for each stimulus of the macro to determine how effectivethe macro was in performing the kill, and whether further adjustments ofthe macro might improve the gamer's performance.

In one embodiment, the AMS application can be adapted to present more orless competitive information than is shown in FIGS. 13-14. In oneembodiment, for example, the AMS application can be adapted to presentcompetitive information without the virtual peripherals. In one example,the AMS application can be adapted to present scrollable pages ofcompetitive information with or without the virtual peripherals. Inanother illustration, the AMS application can be adapted to presentcompetitive information without a viewing of the game or the gamer.Other variants of presenting competitive information or other data shownin FIGS. 13-14 are contemplated by the present disclosure.

The foregoing embodiments are a subset of possible embodimentscontemplated by the present disclosure. Other suitable modifications canbe applied to the present disclosure.

FIG. 15 depicts an exemplary diagrammatic representation of a machine inthe form of a computer system 1500 within which a set of instructions,when executed, may cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethods discussed above. One or more instances of the machine canoperate as any of devices depicted in FIGS. 1-3, and FIG. 15. In someembodiments, the machine may be connected (e.g., using a network) toother machines. In a networked deployment, the machine may operate inthe capacity of a server or a client user machine in server-client usernetwork environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (ordistributed) network environment.

The machine may comprise a server computer, a client user computer, apersonal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a smart phone, a laptop computer, adesktop computer, a control system, a network router, switch or bridge,or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential orotherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. It will beunderstood that a communication device of the present disclosureincludes broadly any electronic device that provides voice, video ordata communication. Further, while a single machine is illustrated, theterm “machine” shall also be taken to include any collection of machinesthat individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) ofinstructions to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein.

The computer system 1500 may include a processor 1502 (e.g., a centralprocessing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU, or both), a mainmemory 1504 and a static memory 1506, which communicate with each othervia a bus 1508. The computer system 1500 may further include a videodisplay unit 1510 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a flat panel,or a solid state display. The computer system 1500 may include an inputdevice 1512 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device 1514 (e.g., amouse), a disk drive unit 1516, a signal generation device 1518 (e.g., aspeaker or remote control) and a network interface device 1520.

The disk drive unit 1516 may include a tangible computer-readablestorage medium 1522 on which is stored one or more sets of instructions(e.g., software 1524) embodying any one or more of the methods orfunctions described herein, including those methods illustrated above.The instructions 1524 may also reside, completely or at least partially,within the main memory 1504, the static memory 1506, and/or within theprocessor 1502 during execution thereof by the computer system 1500. Themain memory 1504 and the processor 1502 also may constitute tangiblecomputer-readable storage media.

Dedicated hardware implementations including, but not limited to,application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays andother hardware devices can likewise be constructed to implement themethods described herein. Applications that may include the apparatusand systems of various embodiments broadly include a variety ofelectronic and computer systems. Some embodiments implement functions intwo or more specific interconnected hardware modules or devices withrelated control and data signals communicated between and through themodules, or as portions of an application-specific integrated circuit.Thus, the example system is applicable to software, firmware, andhardware implementations.

In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, themethods described herein are intended for operation as software programsrunning on a computer processor. Furthermore, software implementationscan include, but not limited to, distributed processing orcomponent/object distributed processing, parallel processing, or virtualmachine processing can also be constructed to implement the methodsdescribed herein.

While the tangible computer-readable storage medium 1522 is shown in anexample embodiment to be a single medium, the term “tangiblecomputer-readable storage medium” should be taken to include a singlemedium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database,and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets ofinstructions. The term “tangible computer-readable storage medium” shallalso be taken to include any non-transitory medium that is capable ofstoring or encoding a set of instructions for execution by the machineand that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methods ofthe present disclosure.

The term “tangible computer-readable storage medium” shall accordinglybe taken to include, but not be limited to: solid-state memories such asa memory card or other package that houses one or more read-only(non-volatile) memories, random access memories, or other re-writable(volatile) memories, a magneto-optical or optical medium such as a diskor tape, or other tangible media which can be used to store information.Accordingly, the disclosure is considered to include any one or more ofa tangible computer-readable storage medium, as listed herein andincluding art-recognized equivalents, in which the softwareimplementations herein are stored.

Although the present specification describes components and functionsimplemented in the embodiments with reference to particular standardsand protocols, the disclosure is not limited to such standards andprotocols. Each of the standards for Internet and other packet switchednetwork transmission (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP/IP, HTML, HTTP) representexamples of the state of the art. Such standards are from time-to-timesuperseded by faster or more efficient equivalents having essentiallythe same functions. Wireless standards for device detection (e.g.,RFID), short-range communications (e.g., Bluetooth, WiFi, Zigbee), andlong-range communications (e.g., WiMAX, GSM, CDMA, LTE) are contemplatedfor use by computer system 1300.

The illustrations of embodiments described herein are intended toprovide a general understanding of the structure of various embodiments,and they are not intended to serve as a complete description of all theelements and features of apparatus and systems that might make use ofthe structures described herein. Many other embodiments will be apparentto those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. Otherembodiments may be utilized and derived therefrom, such that structuraland logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing fromthe scope of this disclosure. Figures are also merely representationaland may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportions thereof may beexaggerated, while others may be minimized. Accordingly, thespecification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative ratherthan a restrictive sense.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, it should be appreciated that any arrangement calculated toachieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodimentsshown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations orvariations of various embodiments. Combinations of the aboveembodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein,are contemplated by the present disclosure.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided with the understanding thatit will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of theclaims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can beseen that various features are grouped together in a single embodimentfor the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method ofdisclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that theclaimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited ineach claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subjectmatter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment.Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the DetailedDescription, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimedsubject matter.

What is claimed is:
 1. A non-transitory computer-readable storagemedium, comprising computer instructions, which, responsive to beingexecuted by a processor, cause the processor to perform operationscomprising: receiving a request to configure a computing environment forexecuting a software application; determining an availability of aresource of the computing environment responsive to the receiving of therequest; comparing the availability of the resource to a preferredavailability of configuration information to identify a resourcedeficiency; adjusting an operation of the computing environment tochange the availability of the resource responsive to identifying theresource deficiency, wherein the adjusting comprises limiting internettraffic at a mobile communication device; detecting a stimulation of auser input associated with the executing of the software application,wherein the stimulation is received from the mobile communication deviceto provide game control inputs for the software application; retrievingan action of a plurality of associable actions based on the stimulationthat is detected; and providing the action to the computing environmentfor use in the software application.
 2. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the request toconfigure is received from the mobile communication device.
 3. Thenon-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein theoperations further comprise transmitting graphical information to themobile communication device for presentation at a display of the mobilecommunication device.
 4. The non-transitory computer-readable storagemedium of claim 1, wherein the computer environment comprises a remotecomputer server.
 5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage mediumof claim 1, wherein the adjusting of the operation of the computerenvironment further comprises adjusting a second software applicationexecuting in the computing environment.
 6. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the resourcecomprises a capacity of the processor.
 7. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the resourcecomprises a capacity of a memory.
 8. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the resourcecomprises a bandwidth of an internet connection.
 9. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the resourcecomprises a capacity of anti-virus program.
 10. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the adjusting ofthe operation further comprises restricting access to an internetconnection at a gateway device.
 11. The non-transitory computer-readablestorage medium of claim 10, wherein the stimulation of the user input isreceived from the mobile communication device via a wirelesscommunication link.
 12. The non-transitory computer-readable storagemedium of claim 1, wherein the configuration information is associatedwith a user of the computing environment.
 13. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operationsfurther comprise retrieving the configuration information from thesoftware application.
 14. The non-transitory computer-readable storagemedium of claim 1, wherein the configuration information identifies aplurality of resource levels associated with a plurality of resources.15. A device, comprising: a memory to store computer instructions; and aprocessor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor, responsive toexecuting the computer instructions, performs operations comprising:receiving a request to configure a computing environment for executing asoftware application; determining an availability of a resource of thecomputing environment responsive to the receiving of the request;comparing the availability of the resource to a preferred availabilityof configuration information to identify a resource deficiency; andadjusting an operation of the computing environment to change theavailability of the resource responsive to identifying the resourcedeficiency, wherein the adjusting comprises limiting internet traffic ata mobile communication device; and receiving a stimulation of a userinput from the mobile communication device to provide game controlinputs for the software application.
 16. The device of claim 15, whereinthe operations further comprise: retrieving an action of a plurality ofassociable actions based on the stimulation that is received; andproviding the action to the computing environment for use in thesoftware application.
 17. The device of claim 15, wherein the request toconfigure is received from the mobile communication device.
 18. Thedevice of claim 15, wherein the resource comprises one of a capacity ofthe processor, the memory, or an anti-virus program, or a bandwidth ofan internet connection.
 19. The device of claim 15, wherein theadjusting of the operation of the computer environment further comprisesstopping execution of a second software application of the computingenvironment.
 20. A method, comprising: receiving, by a system comprisinga processor, a request from a mobile communication device to configure acomputing environment for executing a software application, wherein themobile communication devices provides game control inputs for thesoftware application; monitoring, by the system, a plurality ofavailable resources in the system; determining, by the system, adifference between the plurality of available resources and a preferredconfiguration of the computing environment; and adjusting, by thesystem, an operation of the computing environment to modify operationsof the system while executing the software application responsive toidentifying the difference, wherein the adjusting comprises limitinginternet traffic at the mobile communication device.